Apparatus for wrapping one length of material with another



Feb. 17, 1953 R. G. PLATA EI'AL APPARATUS FOR WRAPPING om; LENGTH OF MATERIAL WITH ANOTHER 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 9, 1949 mm Km R wi 0 o A r WW M, 9

Feb.'17, 1953 PLATA ETAL 2,628,464

APPARATUS FOR WRAPPING ONE LENGTH OF MATERIAL WITH ANOTHER Filed Dec. 9, 1949 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTORS I @g era fad/521 1174 44 2 ,64Ma5.

ATTORNEY 5.

Feb. 17, 1953 R G. PLATA nu. 2,628,464

APPARATUS FOR WRAPPING ONE LENGTH 7 OF MATERIAL WITH ANOTHER 7 Filed Dec. 9, 1949 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTO fiasera a/mez 447:4. ,4/1 -4-2 fimvas.

ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 17, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE APPARATUS FOR WRAPPING ONE LENGTH OF MATERIAL WITH ANOTHER York, N. Y.

Application December 9, 1949, Serial No. 132,171

This invention relates to a machine for wrapping or encasing one continuous moving length of material with another. It may be employed in connection with a number of different materials. One contemplated use is its application to wrapping a continuous length of lace, ribbon and the like with a wrapping of cellophane or the like.

An object of the invention is to provide simple and practical apparatus for wrapping one length of material with another.

Another object of the invention is to provide apparatus for encasing one material in another in a continuous operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide apparatus whereby a moving length of material may be continuously encased in another movin length of material.

Another object of the invention is to provide an elongated package comprising a length of ma terial surrounded by a wrapping which in cross section is unitary and endless.

Another object of the invention is to provide apparatus of the above mentioned kind which is flexible to accommodate diiferent thicknesses and widths of material and process them at different speeds suitable to different materials.

Other objects of the invention will be in part obvious or in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, arrangements of parts, and in the several steps and relation and order of each of said steps to one or more of the others thereof, all as will be pointed out in the following description, and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the folowing claim.

The invention will best be understood if the following description is read in connection with the drawings, in which,

Figure l is a side elevation of apparat'usembodying the invention;

. Figure 2 is a fragmental elevation, partly in cross section, and on an enlarged scale, of part of the device shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a top elevation. of the structure shown in Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a fragmental end elevation looking toward the left in Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a detail view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 3;

Figure '6 is a iragmental view of the winding apparatus shown in the upper right hand of Figure 1;

Figure '7 is a perspective view of a portion of the structure shown in Figure 1;

1 Claim. (Cl. 53-83) Figure 8 is an end view, partly in cross section, taken on the line 8-8 of Figure 7 and Figure 9 is a perspective view of a length of lace wrapped in cellophane and wound on a support.

In the embodiment of the invention described herein a continuous length [0 of material, such for example as a strip of lace, is led from any source of supply over a guide spool l2 mounted on an upright M, to and between guide pins [6 and I6 and over a guide bar I8 into and through a right angled tube-like shielding or confining member 20, after which it passes, together with its wrapping, between pressure rolls 98 and I00 by which it is advanced, as will be explained. The guide pins l6 and Hi project in parallel relation from bracket 22 which extends from the bar 24 the ends of which are bent at right angles and secured by bolts 21 to the upright frame members 26 and 26* respectively, which, as shown, are interconnected at the base by the cross member 26. Guide rod 18 is supported between the brackets 28 and 28 which project from cross bar 24.

The upright I4 is shown projecting upwardly from a table top or support surface 30, which may be elevated by legs 3! and across the upper surface of which the cross member 26 extends. On the opposite side of the frame 26 from the upright I4 is the upright 32 on which a rewinding spool 34 is rotatably mounted for winding up the wrapped length of material, as will be explained. On the inner side of upright 32 as shown in Figure 2, is a bracket 38 extending up from the table top 30, and removably supported on said bracket and on the cross member 36 extending between the upright frame members 23 and 26 is a platform 40. As shown the platform 43 is secured on said bracket 38 and said cross member 36 as by screws 42, so that one platform may be readily substituted for another having a channel of different width as will be explained.

The vertical portion 20*- of the right angled confining guide member 20 which is preferably closed or substantially closed and shaped to conform to the shape of the material to be wrapped, is supported on bracket 44 projecting from cross bar 24. On platform 40 a channel 46 is provided the width of which will depend upon the width of the material to be wrapped. Channel 46 is defined by two side plates 48 and 48 the height of which will also depend upon the particular material to be wrapped and the wrapping employed. The lower, horizontal portion 20 of the guide and confining member 20 is suspended in said channel parallel with the bottom of the channel but spaced therefrom sufiiciently to per mit the wrapping material W to pass freely under the said portion 26 of member 23. As shown herein the wrapping material W, is cellophane or another heat scalable and preferably transparent material and is supplied from the roll 53 mounted on the cross rod 52 which is removably supported between upright I4 and the upright 54 the upper end of which is shown bifurcated to provide for the ready removal of the roll 56 and the substitution of a new roll on rod 52. Also mounted on rod 52 a brake drum 56 may be provided in the form of a pulley fixed to said rod 52 over which, and in frictional contact lith which, extends a cord or tape 58 which is secured at one end to table top 3|] at 69, and the other end of which is secured at 62 to a tension spring 54 which is fastened to support surface 312 at From drum 56 the wrapping material W is led in open condition around the guide rods 68 and which are supported between the uprights 26 and 26* respectively. Adjustable guide collars I2 are provided on said guide rods, a pair being supplied on each of said rods and spaced apart a distance corresponding to the width of the wrapping material W being employed. From guide rods 68 and 10 the wrapping material is led down behind the vertically extending portion of guide tube and under its horizontally extending portion 20 and its medial longitudinal portion is thus brought into the channel 46 and its lateral margins are turned upwardly by contact with the adjacent edges of the plates 48 and 48 respectively. On said plates and projecting inwardly across the said channel 46 are the folding fingers l4 and I6, finger 74 being mounted on plate 4i? by pivot I4 and finger I6 being mounted on plate 48 by pivot 16 The fingers l4 and '16 extend angularly across said channel 46 and said tube-like member 20, and the end of said fingers extend beyond the central longitudinal line of channel 46 and serve to turn or fold the margins of the web or Wrapping material W into overlapping position on the said member 20 which thus serves as a form around which the material W is shaped to produce a tubular closure. The Wrapping material W is supplied in a strip or web having a width relative to the width of the channel 46 to insure that the free margins will overlap when folded over the member 20 To prevent the overlapped margins of the wrapping material W from rising up in channel 46, after passing out from under fingers l4 and I6, a cross member 13 may be provided extending across channel 46 secured on top of the plates 48 and 48 in advance of. the sealing roll 80. The cross member 82 shown extending over channel 46 beyond the sealing roll is employed primarily merely to join the plates 46 and 48 and keep them in spaced relation.

The sealing roll 80 as shown is a heated sealing roll. It will be understood that any sealing means may be employed suitable to the wrapping material used. Sealing roll 86 is mounted on a U-shaped member 84 the legs of which are pivoted to the uprights 26 and 26 respectively by pivots 84 and 84 fixed to and projecting from said uprights respectively so that the arm 84 may be swung from operative horizontal position to inoperative vertical position as shown in Figure 1. Said pivots 84 and 84 engage in slots 86 and 86 provided in said U-shaped member 84 adjacent its free ends respectively. The ends of the legs of said U-shaped member 84 are bifurcated at 88 and 88 said bifurcations being adapted to receive and rest on the pins 96 and 90 respectively projecting outwardly from the said vertical uprights 26 and 26 respectively. Member 84 is movable with respect to the uprights 26 and 25 to the extent of the length of the slots BIS and 86 which are sufiiciently long to permit the bifurcated lower ends of said U-shaped member 84 to be lifted above and dropped down on the pins 90* and 96* thus locking said member 84 in upright, inoperative position to give free access to the platform 46.

Projecting from opposite legs of the member '84 are brackets 92 and M supporting the cupshaped bearings 64 and 94 respectively between which is rotatably mounted the spindle 96 on which said sealing roll is fixedly mounted. The roll 86 and spindle 96 are rotated by frictional engagement between flange 86 projecting radially from around the periphery of said roll at its median line and the portion of the web of wrapping material W overlying the portion 20 of tube 20, the web being advanced by the action of the pressure rolls 93 and I66 as will be described. Also fixed on spindle 96 by pressure screw I03 is an annular bushing I62 (Figure 5), which may desirably be made of asbestos or the like, on which are supported the metal contact rings I04 and I66 which are connected with a heating unit I08, contained within roll 80, by means of the contact terminals III] and II2 respectively and the leads H4 and H6 respectively.

Resting on contact rings I64 and I06 are the wiping contacts I I8 and I20 (Figure 3), which are supported by the insulating bracket I22 supported by said member 84, said wiping contacts being connected respectively to the flexible conductors I26 and I24 which are connected to the opposite sides of a rheostat I28, shown diagrammatically in Figure 5, connected to a source of supply through the leads I30 controlled by the line switch I32.

The heat transmitted from flange 66 of the sealing roll 80 to the overlapped margins of the wrapping material W (see Figure 8), is to cause said overlapped margins to adhere and be sealed together, as is Well understood, thus forming an elongated travelling closure or envelope W surrounding the discharge end of tube 20 and moving away from the tube, so that the strip of material I0 is discharged from the tube into a travelling envelope W of wrapping material.

The elongated package thus formed comprising material I0 encased in its envelope of wrapping material W passes between pressure rolls es and I05) which are preferably rubber covered and are adjustably mounted as will be described, for movement to regulate the pressure exerted on the material I0 and its wrapping. The pressure rolls engage and continuously draw the lengths of materials I0 and W from their sources through the wrapping step and deliver them as a wrapped package comprising in cross section a thin member wrapped in an endless flattened ring. After passing between rolls 93 and I00 the elongated package is preferably cut into desired lengths, each of which may be wound on a support I34, which, for light materials, may be a sheet of cardboard. Projecting from the top of upright 32 is a split spindle I36 between the spring-like ends of which the support 34 may be inserted and held while the spindle is rotated, as for example by means of the friction clutch I38 mounted on said spindle I 36 and driven by a belt I '40 from a pulley I42 mounted on shaft I44 rotatably supported in bearings I 45 supported on table top extension 30*. On shaft I44 are also mounted pressure roll I00,-and pulley I45 which is driven through belt I43 from a pulley comprising a fixed clutch member I56 adapted to be engaged by a slideable clutch member I52. Since the particular clutch means shown is Well known and constitutes no part of this invention it will not be described in detailbut the said clutch members are shown mounted on a shaft I54 extending between the sides of an enclosure I60 supported under the table top extension 30*- on frame member I51. Clutch member I52 is slideable on shaft I54 by the operation of the control handle I 56 the lower end of which is shown hingedly connected at I58 on the inside of said clutch enclosure I60. Clutch pulley I52 is rotatably as well as slideably mounted on shaft I54 and is driven by an extensible belt I62 from the drive pulley I64 of speed regulator I66 which in turn is driven by shaft I68 from motor I70. Speed regulator I66 and motor I are shown mounted on platform I72 which is supported on inverted channel member I14 which in turn is mounted for movement in a horizontal plane on guide rods I18 which are supported by the brackets I 80 and I82 which rest on the frame cross support means I84 extending between said table legs 3|. Extending through bracket I80 and rotatably supported thereby is an externally threaded adjustment screw I86 which extends through the bent down end II4 of the inverted channel member I'M and engages the internally threaded bore I88 extending through said end I'I i and its inwardly projecting boss IM hand wheel I90 by which the screw may be rotated to move platform I14 toward or away from the pulley I52 thereby shortening or lengthening belt I62 and thereby raising or lowering the belt in the grooves of pulleys I64 and I52 respectively and correspondingly increasing or decreasing the speed of rotation of the belt in a well known manner thereby controlling the speed of rotation of pressure roll I00 which in turn controls the speed of rotation of roll 98 through frictional contact. It will be understood that regulation of the rate of rotation of the pressure rolls 98 and I00 will result in a synchronous change in the speed of travel of material It and its wrapping W and in the speed of rotation of spindle I36 and the winder and support 34 mounted thereon.

After leaving the pressure rolls 08 and I00 the leading end of the package comprising the length of material I0 and the wrapper envelope W is secured in any desired way, as for example by a piece of adhesive tape I52, see Figure 6, to the said support 34 which is mounted on spindle I36 and revolved therewith until a winding of predetermined length is obtained. In order to facilitate obtaining wound packages of uniform length the material I0 or the wrapping W may be initially marked at desired intervals. If cellophane or a similar transparent material is used for the wrapping marks made on material I!) will be visible through the wrapping as indicated at m in Figure 6. If the cutting operation is performed by hand the operator may sever each length after the greater part of the length has been wound upon a support 34. He then immediately attaches the leading end of the unsevered package to another support 534 and substitutes the latter on spindle I36 for the support on which the preceding and now severed length is wound.

As stated above pressure roll I00 is mounted on shaft I44 rotatably supported in bearings I45 sup- At its outer end screw I06 has the 6.. ported on table top extension 30*. Roll 98 is adjustably mounted for movement toward or away from roll I00 in a vertical plane being mounted on shaft I94 suspended from bearings I96 and I98 supported from cross frame member 200 which in turn is supported on the upright frame members 202 and 204. The bearings I96 and I98 are fixed to the lower ends of rods 206 and 268 respectively the upper ends of which are threadedly engaged in the cup-shaped bearings 2 I0 and 2 I 2 which are fixed to and project from the under surface of said cross member 200. Member 200 is pivotally mounted by a vertical pivot 2I4 on the bracket 2"; secured to the upright support member 262 and may be moved in a horizontal plane to give access to the roll I00. The opposite end of said support member 200 is provided with a thumb screw 2I8 adapted to engage with a bracket 220 mounted on the upright support member 204 for securing the cross support member 200 in position with roll 98 in operative relation to roll I00.

While member 20 has for convenience been referred to herein as a tube-like member or tube it will be understood that it does not have to be endless in cross section or unitary, its function being to provide a shield or form around which the length W may be wrapped -to form a wrapper endless in cross section and tubular, encasing the length of material I0.

The method disclosed herein may be performed by various structures as well as manually. It has the advantage of flexibility in being applicable to a wide variety of materials, and to lengths differing widely in size and shape.

It will thus be seen that there has been provided by this invention an apparatus in which the various objects hereinabove set forth together with many thoroughly practical advantages are successfully achieved. As various possible embodiment-s might be made of the mechanical features of the above invention and as the art herein. described might be varied in various parts, all without departing from the scope of the invention, it is to be understood that all matter hereinbefore set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What we claim is:

Apparatus for encasing a running length of lace or the like in open width with a second continuous length of material supplied in open width, which comprises, a base, a plurality of channel forming plates secured on said base in a parallel relation to form a channel of desired width and height having the base as its bottom and said plates as its sides, a tube-like member having a cross section of less height than width, said tube-like member comprising a plurality of angularly related portions including a portion extending longitudinally within said channel but spaced from the bottom and sides of said channel, and means for supporting said tube-like member, the other portion of said tube extending upwardly from said channel, means for leading a continuous length of lace or the like into said upwardly extending portion of said tube and through the portion of the tube positioned within said channel, means for supplying a second length of material in open width and feeding it between said tube-like member and said channel with its longitudinal central portion in said channel and its lateral margins turned angularly with respect to said central portion by the sides of the channel respectively, contact members extending across said channel from opposite sides to fold said turned lateral margins toward one another around said tubelike member, means for "securing together said folded over margins to form an envelope, and means for continuously advancing said lengths to cause said length of lace or the like to be continuously advanced through aid tube-1ike member into said envelope formed from said s'e'c= on'd length of material, whereby there is pro duced a continuous travelling elongated pabk= age comprising said length of lace or the like in open width encased in a continuous envelope formed from said second length of material.

ROBERTO GOMEZ PEA-TA. ANGEL RAMOS.

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